Pakistan Railways tops Rs100 billion for first time, sets Rs160 billion target: Abbasi

Pakistan Railways has crossed Rs100 billion in revenue for the first time in its history and is now targeting Rs160 billion, Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi said at the inauguration of new coaches for Awam Express in Rawalpindi.

Abbasi contrasted the train’s earlier condition with its upgrade, saying there had been a time when he did not even feel like looking at Awam Express. He said more trains would be upgraded, adding that problems encountered with Karakoram and Millat 4 Express had been fixed.

The minister also outlined plans to move the railway towards privatisation, saying it was being taken in the same direction as other sectors. Railway hospitals would be outsourced, he said, while railway employees would continue to receive medical treatment free of charge.

Turning to education for workers’ families, Abbasi said that even the child of a railway labourer was now receiving a good education. His remarks covered employee services alongside the plans for changes to railway operations.

Abbasi said Pakistan Railways had begun various projects in consultation with the provinces. He also described plans to bring trains back to branch routes, including a commitment he had made in response to a question from the Punjab chief minister.

When the chief minister asked about restoring services on those routes, Abbasi said he had offered to make four operational this year and another four in the next financial year.

Agreements had already been reached with Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the minister said. He added that facilities were available for Sindh as well if the province wanted to reactivate its branch routes.